In the state of the art, forage harvesters are equipped with a single knife drum and a single intake channel, that conducts harvested crop to the knife drum. In known forage harvesters the possible throughput performance is restricted on the basis of legal limitations of the height of the configuration and the width of the configuration. Furthermore, the conventional configuration of forage harvesters leads to a shift of the center of gravity of the mass towards the forward region of the machine, that degrades the operating performance particularly at higher speeds.
EP 1 277 395 A proposes that the flow of harvested crop taken up is to be divided into two partial streams in order to increase the performance and to conduct these to one or more chopper drums. Although this measure removes a restriction in the inlet channel, the machine remains nose heavy.
The problem underlying the invention is seen in the need to make available a harvesting machine, in particular a forage harvester, that permits a high crop throughput and is provided with an improved operating performance, while preserving its good processing qualities.